NHTSA Complaint #10490624 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

I HAVE 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN LE MODEL. 2 YEARS AGO TRYING TO GET OUT OF DRIVERS SEAT, AS I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR I HEARD A MOTORIZED CLICKING SOUND AND THE DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN FROM INSIDE. I TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THAT THE METAL WIRE THAT CONNECTS TO THE LATCH HAD BROKEN. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT WILL COST $250 FOR THE ASSEMBLY THAT CONTROLS THE LATCH TO OPEN THE DOOR. LAST YEAR MY POWER SLIDING DOOR (PASSENGER SIDE) STARTED ACTING UP. SOMETIMES THE DOOR WOULD OPEN AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T WHEN I PRESS THE POWER DOOR BUTTON LOCATED ON THE CEILING CLOSE TO DRIVER'S SIDE. THEN IT WOULD ONLY OPEN FROM OUTSIDE IF I PULL THE LATCH FROM OUTSIDE. THEN ONE DAY WHEN I PULLED THE DOOR LATCH FROM OUTSIDE TO OPEN IT, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE METAL CABLE THAT THE DOOR SLIDES ON SNAPPED! I RECEIVED AN"ENHANCEMENT RECALL" LETTER FROM TOYOTA JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND SAW COMPLAINTS THAT TOYOTA DOES THIS ON PURPOSE LAST MINUTE EXPECTING THAT CUSTOMERS WON'T SEE IT IN TIME. I CALLED THE SCION DEALERSHIP IN PALATINE, IL AND THEY SAID THAT IT WILL COST ME $120 TO INSPECT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE POWER DOOR AND THERE ARE 4 TO 5 PARTS WHERE 1 OR MORE COULD HAVE GONE BAD. SOME PARTS ARE COVERED AND OTHERS ARE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRAN TY. THIS SHOULD BE SAFETY RECALL AND COULD KILL A SMALL KID. A CLASS ACTION SUIT MUST BE FILED AGAINST TOYOTA FOR RIPPING OFF CUSTOMERS. THEY SHOULD BE FIXING IT FOR FREE SINCE ITS A DESIGN FLAW. I WOULD EXPECT AN ENGINE TO FAIL AT 96000 MILES BUT NOT THE 2 DOORS (FRONT MANUAL DOOR AND POWER SLIDING DOOR). BIG COMPANIES LIKE TOYOTA NEEDS TO CUT OFF BONUS FORM CEO AND BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S PAYCHECK AND USE THE MONEY TO CORRECT THEIR DESIGN FLAWS. I PAID $32,000 AND EXPECT TOYOTA TO RETURN THE COST OF REPAIR WHICH IS $1800+TAX OR FIX IT FOR FREE AND THANK ME THAT I DID NOT FILE A SUIT AGAINST THEM. *TR